I recently attended a concert by Andrea Bocelli at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. We had great seats – right on the floor – which allowed me to observe up close one of the most popular tenors in the world.

Nineteen thousand people listened as Mr. Bocelli’s voice filled the interior of the building and the hearts of his devoted fans. He didn’t waste time with inane chatter like, “Good Evening! How are you, folks?” as so many lesser performers do. We came to listen to him sing, not talk, so as soon as he opened his mouth, it was like birds in the springtime flying over us.

The audience responded warmly with frequent and long-lasting standing ovations. The power of his angelic voice touched us all.

What sets him apart is that his voice and his songs are more than just lyrics; they are his heart poured out through his mouth. He sings from his heart directly to ours. He communicates and connects with us through his voice as if it were an extension of his inner most being.

When he sings, we feel what he feels, we hear what he hears and we know what he knows, whether it is joy or sadness, we are there with him at every note. He takes us to the top of the world with him when his passionate rendition of a composer’s song becomes his song alone. It is truly a gift that few performers possess, let alone own the way he does.

I was disappointed that I did not get the chance to shake his hand, but I experienced him physically, as if I touched him, through his passionate songs. His deep enthusiasm for telling stories of earthly desire and heavenly love with his voice left me breathless as if I’d run a thousand miles with him as he sang. And yet that passion both exhausted and renewed me as I left that night.

Our passion, no matter what we do, should both exhaust and renew those around us. We should be 100% present in our personal and professional lives. There should never be a time that we don’t leave 100% of who we are on the table for everyone to see.

Are you like the great Boticelli? Do you live with passion when presented with an opportunity? Do you prepare your performance with great content (beautiful songs), passion (heart) and engagement (enthusiasm)? Does your audience (boss and co-workers) applaud and appreciate your efforts? Or are you just showing up and sitting there? Do you bring everything you have to every person you meet? If not, why not?